Deck construction for cattle trucks or trailers



July i, 1958 H, L TURPIN, JR 2,541,437V

DECK CONSTRUCTION FOR CATTLE TRUCKS OR TRAILERS Y Filed Dec. 5, 1956 2 'sheets-sheet 1 L9@ i l INVENTOR l mefaw, Meran/2.

ATTORNEYS Juy l, 1958 l H. L. TURPIN, JR 2,841,437

DECK CONSTRUCTION FOR CATTLE TRUCKS OR TRAILERS Filed Deo. 5, 1956 2 Sheets-Shea?l 2 "MIDI" i. INYENTOR mwww., Zpfzrlle- BY /'ml ATTORNEYS United States Patent Clifice 2,841,437 Patented July 1, 1958 DECK CNSTRUCTION FOR CATTLE TRUCKS R TRAILERS Henderson Lee Turpin, Jr., Wytheville, Va.

Application December 5, 1956, Serial No. 626,332

4 Claims. (Cl. 296-40) This invention relates to Vehicles, and more particularly to trucks or trailers for transporting livestock.

As is well known it is desirable to arrange decks or floors at different heights in accordance with the size of the animals being transported, and one object of the invention is to provide improved means for supporting such decks or floors on the sides of the truck or trailer body.

Another object is to provide an improved floor or deck construction, comprising separable, removable beams extending across the body.

A still further object of the invention is to device improved means whereby said beams may not only be supported but also will serve to tie the two sides of the body together.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specication, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of one method of supporting the removable oors or decks;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse section substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, parts being in elevation;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing a slightly modiied construction;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary transverse section similar to Fig. 3, but showing a further modied construction;

Fig. 7 is a perspective View similar to Fig. l but showing a modified construction;

Fig. 8 is a transverse section substantially on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective showing one of the improved deck members, looking from below.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and first more particularly to Figs. l to 3, my improved means for supporting decks or floors on the sides of a vehicle body comprises a pair of rails extending lengthwise of such body. Each of these rails includes a diagonally extending web or brace portion 1 formed at its top with an inverted channel 2, adjacent which the metal is bent to form an upwardly opening channel 3, the far wall 4 of which is continued upwardly a considerable distance.

In the form shown in these iigures, the oor or decking itself comprises a plurality of inverted T -beams 5 which extend across the width of the body from one side to the other, and at each end of these beams is welded to the lower side of the bottom ange a V-shaped clip or lug 6, the inner side 6a of which extends vertically at right angles to the beam.

lt will thus be seen that when these beams are assembled side by side, as shown in the drawing, the beams rest 2 v on the top of the inverted channels Zand the V-shaped lug 6 enters the channels 3, with the vertical wall 6a thereof engaging the side of the channels 2, thus rigidly tying the two sides of the body together.

In between the webs of the T-beams are placed suitable pieces of lumber, as, :for example, 2" x 10 boards 7, or an equivalent member of metal construction such as an inverted channel, these pieces of lumber or metal members lilling the spaces between the webs of the T- beams and forming a removable but strong and rigid supporting floor or deck.

The elements making up this removable oor or deck may be secured in position by means of an angle iron 8 extending along each side of the body and held in kplace both by tongues 9 struck out from the wall 4 and bent over as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and by means of bolts 1t? extending through the angle iron and wall 4 and secured as by means of nuts 11, as shown in Fig. 3. When these bolts 10 are removed, the angle irons 8 may be slid lengthwise into or out of place.

in Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a slightly different arrangement. ln these figures, instead of the channels 2 and 3, the brace members 1 support a shelf 3', on the inner edge of which rests a tubular member 12, of rectangular section, which is welded to the bracket or shelf as at 14. Welded to the lower surface of the T- beam as at 15, is a rectangular hollow lug 13. Thus the two elements 12 and 13 have vertical wallsv which interengage, and serve to tie the walls of the body together, the same as in Figs. 1 and 3.

instead of the turned-over tongues 9, there may be provided at intervals of several feet along the length of the truck body U-shaped clips 16, welded at their ends to the wall 4. Semi-circular lugs 17 are welded to the upper edge of the angle iron 8 at points spaced apart a distance corresponding to the spacing of the clips 16.

With this arrangement, the angle irons may be laid into approximate position and then swung laterally outward to their nal position against the wall 4, the lugs 17 turning under the rounded middle portion of the clips 16. Instead of the bolts 10 shown in Fig. 3, lag screws 18 may be inserted at intervals through the angle iron 8 into holes in the wood decking 7, thus holding the angle iron in place.

In Fig. 6, i have shown still another method of mounting the angle iron.V Here, the angle iron is welded to the lower arms 19 of a plurality of spaced strap hinges, the upper arms 2l? being welded to the plate 4. This permits the angle iron to be swung laterally into and out of position, as indicated by the curved arrow.

In Figs. 7-9, inclusive, I have shown a modified construction of decking. Instead of the inverted T-beams 5 and floor boards 7, l may use a series of metal members or beams 21, in the nature of inverted channels. These may be formed of aluminum or steel, either by casting, extruding or rolling. The dat top is preferably roughened to prevent slipping of the animals and is reinforced by means of longitudinally extending ribs 24.

At the end of each side flange 22 of the channel is formed a downwardly projecting lug or hook 23. This has its inner edge at right angles to the ange 22, and is adapted to engage the vertical wall of channel 2, the same as shown in Fig. 3, so as to tie the sides of the truck body together.

In this construction 1 employ only a single series of beams or deck members, and the hooks or lugs 23 are preferably formed integral with the anges 22 of the channel. Holes 2S may be provided for receiving bolts to secure the anges of adjacent channels together.

What I claim is:

1. In a vehicle body for hauling livestock, decking comprising a series of removable oor members'disposed 'side by side and extending across the body, supporting railssecured to the sidesof the body, on which railsrthe ends of said members rest, an angle iron extending longitudinally of the bodyr above the Vends of saidmembers and servingv to maintain them in position, and a series of hinges disposed along each` side, each of said hinges being secured at one end to the adjacent angle iron and at-the other end to said side at a point above said angle iron,rwhereby said angle irons may be swung laterally into and out of beam engaging position.

3. In a livestock transporting vehicle body having oppo* .site side walls, decking comprising a series of removable oor members disposed side by side and extending across the body with the ends thereof disposed adjacent said body sidewalls, door member supporting rails, each corn-V prising a Avertically disposed wall member engaging a -body side Wall Vand spanning the corresponding ends of said oor members, a oor member end supporting` structure extending horizontally inwardly from the lower edge of said vertically disposed wall member, `a bracing web extendingvdiagonally outwardly and downwardly Vfrom the inner edge of said floor Ymember supporting struc- Yture and terminating` in a relatively narrow body side -wa1l engaging member co-planar with saidvertically disposedfwall member and being secured tosaid body side Wall, and means disposed outwardly of the upper edge of said bracing web and immediately adjacent said verti- Y cally disposed wall member for interlocking` the ends of said oor members with said rails.

Y V'comprising arseriesof removable oor members disposed i 4. In a livestock transporting vehicle body having Y opposite side walls, decking comprising a series of removable floor members disposed side by side and extending across the body with the ends thereof disposed adjacent said body side walls, door member supporting rails, each of said rails comprising a vertically disposedwall member engaging a body side wall and spanning. the corresponding ends of said floor members, the lower edge of said wall member being unitary with a relatively narrow VhorizontalV wall member disposedY substantially below saidY Y door members, the rinner edge of said horizontal wall member being unitary with the lower edge of a relatively narrow vertical wall member, the upper edge of Vsaid vertical. Wall member being unitary with the outer edge of'aV relatively narrow oor member supportingrwall member, the inner edge of said Vlastwall member being unitary with the upper edge of a relatively narrow vertical wall member whose lower edge is unitary with the upper edge of a downwardly and outwardly extending Ybrace web Y whose lower edge is secured to the adjacentvehicle body side wall, a lower'edge portion of said first .wall member and the rst named horizontal and vertical Wall members providing an upwardly opening channel and abutments on thev ends of said door members disposed within said channel. v

` References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,085,645 Tolle'rton Feb. 3,Y 1914 1,219,274 Engle Mar. 13, r1917 1,876,660Y Giltsch et al. Sept. 13, 1932 2,152,568 Renno Mar. 28, 1939l 2,167,960 Reader Aug.V 1, 1939 2,735,517 Peterson Feb. 21, 1956 Y FOREIGN PATENTS p Y 312,729 Y Great Britain June 6, 1929 397,967 Great Britain Sept. 7, 1933 

